Victim'eye'zed
by Lady of the Phoenix
Summary: When a serial killer leaves New York gripped in terror, the peaceful freedom of one Nida Nomura is ruined. Now that the one he has hid from holds the city's relative peace hostage, and Nida's own life is on the line.
1. Captive

Author's Notes: Warning, you hav ejust entered the realm of a VERY AU fiction.Takes place in New York and some other places. Involves Nida from FF8 and maybe a few other characters later on.

Those of you that know much about me know I love Nida more than anything. So you may wonder why exactly I torment him so. The answer is that it is simple. There is no one better to torture because he has no past or present. One can test him under any fire that they want. And really, it's always IC because who knows what OOC is for him?

Special Thanks To: Atreylune/Grayout- who helped me plan out some major parts of this story. He is the bestest person EVER. Tess: Who helped me name the baddie and part of the MO of the killer.

Summary: For over twenty years, Nida Nomura has been haunted by the one person that he had ever trusted completely. When that trust was betrayed he was forced to deny himself the comforts of a life of peace and happiness. After a time he finds finally flees from his home in California to New York, sure that he is finally free. Yet after three years that fiend from his past resurfaces, leaving Nida in the worst situation yet… One that could leave him dead.

Disclaimer: I think the one thing here I don't own so far is Nida. And I intend to buy him someday Square, so just you wait. Better not sue me in the mean time.

* * *

Victimeyezed

He'd given up pleading innocent two hours ago, realizing just how pointless it was. Who would believe him? The description of the killer matched his closely enough except for the obvious flaw in eye color and hair length. The weapons that supposedly had been used to kill those young men matched a few of the swords that Nida collected and had displayed so proudly on his wall as a mark of his heritage. Even his mannerisms and chivalric tendencies had seemed to pin the series of murders on him. It probably hadn't helped that the real culprit had almost died at his hands.

So he sat here, on the cold, hard slab of metal that was so mockingly called a bunk. Steel bars, far from tempered or folded to make them strong and flawless like the metal of a fine sword, hedged him in on two sides. The other two sides of the cell were the same dank, cold, dull gray brick as the walls of the other cells. The perk of being such a 'notorious' criminal meant that he at least wasn't near the common criminals, and that his business was a little more private. Nida didn't want to know what would have been done to him had he been put in with the real criminals. He knew a cop would have let it slip out that he stood accused of being the New York Butcher, as all of the news papers were calling the true perpetrator. And then who knew what would happen to him.

Except he knew, didn't he? They'd kill him. Or try to at least. Who could blame them? The New York Butcher was such a gruesome killer. He would bind his young male victims to a bed, and then rape them. After that he slit their wrists and carve 'everything' in kanji on the boy's arms. Of course, everyone knew that the police held back some to most of the details, so it took a bit of imagination to say how they were found. Yet Nida knew. He didn't know because he had done it, but because he'd been told.

It flashed across his mind, the scene late last night. The memory of cold hands against his shoulders, the muzzle of a gun pressed against his stomach. The feeling of his breath against Nida's ear, and the whisper of the deranged killer sweeping across him, making him sick to his stomach, would not leave Nida's fragile mind.

And so the sick secret would not leave him. How the killer plucked the eyes from his victims, and cut open their chests so that he could touch their hearts. But the worst knowledge was that these victims, boys ranging in age from eleven to seventeen, all died because of him. They died because their eyes reminded the killer so much of Nida's own eyes. 'Eyes like hot coffee', the man had said, 'and so full of the pain of the soul before I had a chance to cause the pain.'

All of those boys had died because they had resembled Nida, and now he was going to die like they had.

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Nida Nomura had been born in Tokyo, Japan, to a happy couple that was not to be expected. His mother was a lawyer specializing in international laws, and she was far from a 'bombshell' as one could put it. His father was a businessman working for a major software company based in Tokyo. The two had met at a small birthday party thrown for one of their mutual friends. After several years of 'business dinners' and 'power lunches', the two had married, and brought Nida into the world.

For ten years the trio had enjoyed their life together, and life was very good indeed. Yet no peace can last forever. Nida's father had come home one day and informed his wife and son that the company was sending him overseas to head up a new branch in the American business divisions. Gladly Nida's mother had accepted this, easily getting a job working in a law firm. It had been a simple matter to put aside international law in favor of criminal law for a woman such as her.

Yet Nida had not been able to adjust as easily as his parents. While there was a large asian population in California and LA, even a Little Tokyo area with plenty of other Japanese people, he did not have the pleasure of knowing him. His parents, desiring the best for their son, had sent him to a private school just outside of the city, where there were few of asian descent. And for a year, Nida had thrived academically, but failed socially. The other children had shunned the quiet youth.

Then had come middle school. His parents, desiring for Nida to experience more diversity than he had found in the private school, had sent him to a public, sixth through eighth grade middle school. Already shell-shocked from the change in countries, spoken language and everything else, he had not been ready to handle American youth. The shunning was more complete. Nida was the invisible kid in school, and yet top of his class.

That was when _he_ walked into Nida's life. An eighth grader and handsome teen named Rei Yamamoto. And it was this teen that had left Nida in jail, accused of killing ten young men.


	2. Enter the Detective

Author's Notes: Here I come to wreck the day! … Of Nida that is. Two new characters shall be joining us this chapter, Miss Ellone Loire and Detective Seifer Almasy. You heard me right. There will be some stuff in this chapter happening in the present, and some of it as a memory of Nida from the night of the first chapter. Yes, part of this story is done in the present, part in the past, and part as memories and third person information.

Lots of credit and love for this chapter go to Fluff-man and Tess for their continued support and lack of prodding, and to my one true Nida-reviewing love, 2sidez-samecoin, because she is the bestest person ever and puts up with my Nida-based junk!

Music selection for the chapter: My Immortal by Evanescence because it suits Nida's mood when he thinks about how things were with Rei before the whole homicidal manic thing.

To prevent some of the confusion of the last chapter, the italics shows where the story tells of the past, okay?

**Summary of the story so far**: Nida is put in jail in the night after an encounter that left Rei in the hospital. He is thought to be the serial killer called the New York Butcher, but Rei Yamamoto, someone from his past is the real culprit. Nida's past is gone over and the knowledge that he was told all the details about the murders from Rei becomes known (all of this in last chapter). Nida is arraigned the next day for assault in battery of Rei Yamamoto, pending trial upon the recovery or death of said man. A day comes and goes with Nida still in jail as investigators search for proof of Nida's guilt or innocence in the killings (not in chapter but it still happened).

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Chapter 2: Enter the Detective

"Detective Almasy! Detective Almasy!" a feminine voice called through the noise and the crowds of the side walks of New York.

Seifer let out an annoyed groaned and stilled in his progress towards the small food cart at the corner. When the woman finally caught up with him he didn't allow her a moment to catch her breath before continuing on. He expected her to follow him if she wanted to talk.

"Must you really interrupt my morning coffee walk?" the blonde asked of the petite woman.

"This is important Detective," she responded, ignoring the pain in her feet from running down the street in heels.

"If you're going to tell me that the guy we picked up didn't do it, then I don't have time for this Miss Loire. I've heard it all," he said, annoyance written in his regal features.

"But who else can give you proof?" Ellone countered, "Who else profiled the real guy in the first place? Seifer, please listen to me."

"Sorry Ellone, not happening. We've got the man. Caught him in the act."

"Not possible, that man was far to old to be an intended victim!"

Seifer halted before the food cart and nodded to the owner as he asked if the detective would like the usual.

"I'll bet your coffee on it," the dark haired female blurted out.

The blonde smirked, "Fine, you've got until we get back to my office to convince me my dear."

"I won't even need that long," she responded with a smile.

This earned her another annoyed humph from the slightly younger blonde male. Yet he waited for the brown-eyed beauty to pay for his coffee and her own before turning and walking off.

"Arrogant aren't you?" Seifer asked.

"Not nearly as much as you. I mean, you put a victim in jail."

"You believe his story that the guy in a coma in the hospital is the real killer?"

"Yes. Mister Nomura fits the description of the victims far better, don't you agree. It's in the eyes. The killer has a fixation upon the eyes of his victims, right? Nida had the same eye color as the other victims, among other things. And each of the victims had one other thing they have in common with him that they didn't have in common with the others. The first one had the same general appearance of Nida. The second was also an immigrant from Japan. The third moved here from California like Nomura. The fourth also had an extensive sword collection. The others we're yet to figure out. Seifer, it's not just a coincidence. I think we should let him go, but keep him under observation. I also think we should contact his family in California. Maybe they can tell us more."

There was a sigh from the male as he picked his way through the crowded street and back towards the offices. "Ellone, he took another man, who fit the description closely enough, and threw him off of a balcony after stabbing him in the stomach."

"Which doesn't fit the killer's MO in the slightest, and you know that. Nida doesn't fit the profile either, except in some of his manners and his background. The killer is someone obsessed, maybe with Nomura even. He's not some quiet businessman like the man you put away, but someone that can easily get where he needs to be, into positions of power so that he can get close to his victims. They trust him, but Nida isn't charismatic enough to win over boys like that. This guy in the hospital, this Rei Yamamoto, he doesn't show up ANYWHERE, little suspicious don't you think?"

"Doesn't defeat the fact that Nomura tried to kill him."

"Self defense, it has to be," she said, nervously shifting her coffee cup from one hand to the other as they grew closer to the doors of the precinct.

"You believe his fucking story?"

"Fully Seifer. What serial killer brings their victim back to their own place of residence? He admits that he stabbed the man, but only because Yamamoto had a katana pressed up against his neck. The man takes classes in self-defense you know, not just the normal martial arts you could expect of one from his background. Detective, I think he's been running from this man. I don't think he is the killer, but the target."

The glass doors were right before the pair now, and Seifer shook his head, "Sorry Ellone, you didn't convince me."

When the woman's face fell the detective smirked slightly. "Actually, I was convinced before hand because of some new information. I just wanted come coffee."

"What convinced you?" she couldn't help but demand.

"Gut-feeling. But that isn't going to get out. Come on, we're going to pay a visit to Mister Nomura."

The criminal profiler watched the detective enter the building with her jaw hanging open. After a few seconds she shook her head and took off after him. How dare he cheat her like that?

--------

He'd lost track of time when he'd finally found some sleep in the night. The lack of windows in the holding area didn't help at all, and he had only the fact that there was a new man at the guard's station to show him it was sometime in one of the next shifts. Despite his attempts to call out to the man and ask the time, all he'd received were glares and a few profanities mixed in with the occasional 'dirty asian fag'. So once more he sat on the cold metal slab that his sleeping upon had officially christened as something passing for a bed.

Silence had taken its toll upon him. It had come to the point that Nida would jump every single time that the 'click' of the minute arm moving on the clock cut into the absolute void of noise. The dull gray of the walls and the dark gray of the old bar gave him something other than the vibrant orange of his jump-suit to look upon, and in themselves they were almost a comfort. The bars looked like he felt on the inside: dull, dreary, stone and accepting of all of the pains he'd locked away so many years ago. Funny how the world had come to a point where it reflected what everything inside of him really was, which was bound by the past he refused to think about.

There was a squeak of an unoiled door opening, and the sound of heavy boots moving through the halls towards the guard station. Was this another change in his guard? Nida doubted it. The last time there was a switch had been maybe an hour ago. That would mean that they were coming for him, or bringing someone else in. Then again, the single set of foot steps hinted at something else. And there was another sound now, the jingling of keys on a chain, and the now familiar sound of the restrictive and cuffs and ankle-waist chains they used to escort around the more dangerous criminals. Nida, of course, didn't think he needed the things really, because he was the victim here, not that anyone else agreed with him upon that.

"You, get up," the gruff voice of the officer said as he came to a rest outside of Nida's cell.

With a sigh Nida rose and moved to the bars. He'd learned by this point that the small horizontal gap in the bars was not for delivering food, but so that the officers could reach in and cuff his hands behind his back without getting into the cell. This knowledge firmly in mind Nida turned and put his wrists through the gap. There was a wince from him as the guard closed the cuffs too tightly around his wrists. The thought that ceased the asian at that moment was that he hoped that the trip would be short, as to try and avoid his circulation being cut off long enough to do damage. Once the cuffs were on he took a step away from the door and waited patiently for the officer to open the door so that the next set of restraints could be put on. All through the process of having his ankles chained together and to his waist he stood silently, unmoving as the officer did his work. He'd heard once that good behavior could do a lot for you when trying to get out of jail, but keeping out of jail… Well, it was better to just not think of getting a sentence in the first place.

The last time Nida had been taken from his cell was yesterday morning when he'd been given food, a chance to clean up, and one of his suits from home so that he could go to his arraignment hearing. Too bad he hadn't even been allowed to speak in his own defense. Too bad the judge had thought he was too much of a threat to public safety to allow him bail. Too bad for a lot of things. Too bad that he'd not been able to escape Rei's attentions in the first place.

"There is someone here to see you," the officer finally informed him as he pulled Nida from his cell. This shocked the slender asian very much. It couldn't be Rei, because he was still in the hospital considering their encounter two days ago. It could not be his parents because even if they had found out after he'd been arraigned yesterday they wouldn't have had the time to get here and in to see him. It couldn't be his lawyer because the woman believed Nida was guilty and didn't care to see him. So who was left? Hopefully not that Detective that had interviewed him already. Maybe it was his friend…

"Hurry up, better not keep the Detective waiting," the guard said, shoving Nida a bit. It took all of Nida's agile grace to keep from falling. Well, that cleared up that did it not?

The orange clad man shuffled on along before the officer out of the holding area and down many halls until they reached the proper area of the office building that was the 'downtown' that most cops referred when they meant taking people in for questioning or in to file police reports. It wasn't a glamorous place, everything painted the same off-white shade, and all of the desks that he could see down the hall were identical save for amount of paperwork and the personal touches. Of course he didn't get a closer look because of the fact that he was steered to the door of one of the questioning rooms instead. Inside the walls were a dark gray more like those of the cells, and it was lit with a single cliché light over a metal table and a few metal chairs. The room lacked the feature of a window with metal bars over it, but the traditional two-way mirror lined one wall, but Nida hardly cared. He waited for the police officer to move him to the chair. He was seated in it, his ankle chains were hooked to a loop of metal installed in the floor so that he couldn't get up and walk away. His hand cuffs were removed and his right arm only was cuffed to his chair. It was quite amusing really; that they took such precautions with him when he figured Rei lay in his ICU bed with no restraints at all.

Once all of this was done the officer left the room, leaving the door closed behind him. Great, another room with total silence and nothing to look at… Wait, there was a mirror this time. For the first time since his arraignment Nida caught sight of himself, and he did not like it one bit. His normally perfectly brushed and tended to hair was everywhere from his sleeping. Not that he didn't look good with disheveled hair though, but it just wasn't him. And the bright orange of his jump suit made his skin look so pale and sickly. How could that man in the mirror be him? No, he decided, that wasn't him. That man there was just some victim, and Nida was not a victim. He hadn't been a victim then and he wouldn't be a victim now.

What was then? He didn't want to think about it, but wanting wasn't going to stop it was it?

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_At first it had been so easy for a young Nida Nomura to become friends with Rei Yamamoto. Where Nida had been timid, unnoticed and jumpy, Rei had been cool, suave, and sure in everything that he did. He was the star of the school's soccer team, the top student in his grade level, and beloved by all the faculty, students and parents that came to the school often. Everyone who was anyone wanted to be part of the small group of people Rei counted as his friends, especially the lowest of the low in the ranks of popularity. Even Nida looked up to him, but more so because Rei was accepted even though he was asian, where Nida was shunned because of it. _

_Why Rei chose Nida no one could ever say. If one knew that then maybe so many young males would not have died. But the fact remains that Nida was chosen by Rei. Under the wings of the young man, Nida flourished. While Nida had previously been on the soccer team, with Rei's help he became almost as good as the other male. With Rei's help Nida learned to handle computers, how to get attention, how to relax, how to perfect my skills with computers, and even how to dance and sing. It came as no surprise in the end when the two became a couple really, or that they even went to a school dance together. _

_Through out the end of Rei's last year in middle school the two were inseparable, but then had come the day after the school year ended…_

_They had spent the whole day together at the mall, celebrating the first day of summer vacation. It had been great in Nida's opinion to have all of that time alone with his boyfriend, especially since most other times that they went they were hanging out with the rest of Rei's friends. Having a day just for them had been great. Rei had even bought him a few things, just like a proper boyfriend should._

_It didn't surprise the youth that his parents were no where in sight upon returning home. They so rarely were anyway. With his mom always away talking to clients and his father always off taking care of some major problem at work Nida was used to being home alone. Like a proper host he offered Rei something to drink before agreeing to let the young man come up to his room for the first time._

_This was probably where Rei's long plan had come into play. Before Nida was completely sure of what was going on Rei had begun to touch him. When Nida told the older teen to stop, Rei rewarded him by tying him up. Try as the younger boy might, he couldn't stop Rei from what came next. In the end Rei just smiled and called Nida a good little whore, and after untying him, the boy had walked out of Nida's life for years. Nida hadn't told his parents about the incident. He didn't explain why he didn't sit down much for a while, or why he had to wash all of his bedding so soon in the month. He just went on as if nothing had happened. Except it had, and he'd never be able to forget despite his best efforts. _


	3. What Happened That Night

Author's Notes: Well, I'm finally back in action! Been working on this chap for a few days now in an attempt to perfect it. Hope it works. So, it's a new day and a new chance to torture Nida. We've got another new character this chapter. Seems like I'm going to eventually bring in most of the game cast at this rate. This time we have first Squall Loire, graduate student studying history with a specialization in the cultures of Asia. We also get to find out just what did happen the night of the incident between Rei and Nida.

Once more there is much love to my two friends, but also to my Academic Challenge team for lots of FF trivia flying around on the way to competition yesterday. And this chapter is dedicated to anyone who reads this sentence and mentions it in their review to earn a free box of pocky.

Music Selection for the chapter: I wrote this chapter with BNL in mind but it was typed thanks to Dave Matthews Band's Busted Stuff CD because it rocks.

And to remind you, italics show the past, and dialog in the brackets is Japanese. That means the characters are speaking Japanese and to spare you and me great pains, it's translated to English.

Oh, you know what, if you didn't understand the last chapter's non-bluntness, yes, Nida was raped by Rei when he was a kid.

* * *

Chapter 3: What Happened That Night

The watched him from behind the safety of the glass. Ellone's expression betrayed the faint worry she felt for the male she knew had to be innocent, for his fists were clenched and some remembered terror haunted the dark brown eyes. The Detective merely watched closely, noting the signs of imprisonment's affect upon the businessman. To both it was obvious that the male did not handle confinement very well at all. Every now and again the captive would shift, as if looking for any way to be free from the chains. The chains were obviously the only thing that truly placed fear in this one, at least in the relative safety of being alone.

"We should go in now," Ellone finally spoke, breaking the silence cultivated between herself and Seifer.

"His lawyer isn't here yet," Seifer pointed out.

"As if that has ever stopped you Seifer," the profiler said, hands upon her lean and suit clad hips.

The older male smirked widely, "Ellone, are you implying that I bend the rules?"

"Shatter is more of an appropriate term," she shot back.

"Well then, I must not disappoint you my dear," was said as he moved for the door that separated the surveillance room from the interrogation room. He paused as his hand alighted upon the door knob and he had finally noticed her lack of movement.

"Aren't you coming?"

The lovely brunette looked at him in extreme shock. "Me?"

"I need someone nice to play the good cop," his response came just before he opened the door.

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If he could have lifted his hands to cover his ears, he might have. Yet only one would move, the second being cuffed to the chair as it was. There was little he hated more than restraints and at the moment only Rei came before them. In vain he tried to free himself, knowing his efforts were not only silly, but wasteful.

Try as he might, Nida could no longer bear the sight that greeted him when he looked up to the mirror. No matter how hard he fought it, he couldn't help but notice how weak and broken he looked now. Just like he'd looked back then… Even the shortest of the glances reminded him of the memory that had reared its head once to often this day.

So when he finally heard a sound he had not made he could do little less than focus upon its source. Dark eyes flew to the only place he was yet to consider in this room… that being the door that lead to the room from which he was surely being watched. His eyes were glued to the door as it opened just a crack, and his eyes alighted upon the sight of a well tanned hand upon the door knob. A strong voice whispered into the room, a small comfort and a large reason for unease.

"Ladies first," the voice of the stunningly blonde detective he had come to loathe spoke. A slight scowl touched the lips of the asian, for he did not desire to see the arrogant male he knew was coming to see him.

Yet they came anyway, and for this he was not prepared for the whole of the sight presented to him. As the door opened fully he came to see a lovely young woman with long brunette hair and gentle brown eyes. More than he'd been sure of anything before, he was sure that this woman was familiar to him. Could she possibly be her?

"Hello Mister Nomura. I am Special Agent Loire. You know Detective Almasy already believe."

The asian male took a few moments to compose himself before turning to the detective who stood by the now closed door.

"I would assure you both that the pleasure was mine, but we all know there is little of that here," he finally said, shocked by his own composure.

This brought a gentle smirk to the features of the suit clad blonde.

"Now now Nida, no use being abrasive," the detective replied in his cold, arrogant tone.

"This is by no means abrasive my detective. Miss Ellone, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

He was almost to watch the two flinch back at the comment. The two were probably trying to think of how he could know of her first name or if he was bluffing. Yet he wasn't about to let them think the worst of him.

"Squall has told me much about you Agent Loire. Could you please inform him that I will sadly be forced to postpone our meeting next week? I do not believe I will be available then, correct detective? I fear he might be worried that I haven't called him like I was supposed to…"

The two remained where they were, blinking in shock. Finally Seifer blinked to regain his limited wits, well, limited in Nida's opinion.

"I think you'll be booked solid for a while," the man confirmed.

"No less than I expected. Before we move to the obvious, how is he?"

"Alive, still in a coma. You really messed him up."

"Mister Nomura," Ellone began, only to find herself cut off.

"Please, Mister Nomura is my father. Call me Nida. Seifer and your brother have no qualms about it."

"Nida, I would like you to tell me about your evening on the night where you encountered Mister Yamamoto… We can wait for your lawyer if you want."

"She believes me even less than you two obviously do," he chuckled.

"Amazing, she usually loves cases like yours," the detective mumbled.

The asian glared at the detective for a few moments before returning his attention to the female who had chosen this point to sit in a chair across the table from him.

"You probably will not enjoy what I say my dear, but I will tell you anyway…"

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_"…used to assassinate the ruler of the time," the quiet yet still silky voice came._

_A smile touched Nida's face as he looked down upon the box that rested in his lap. The box, three feet long and wrapped in black paper that suited the giver more than the receiver displayed the expensive anniversary gift. Cradled in the crème colored tissue paper was a replica of a wakizashi of great beauty. It was obviously ornamental, but almost identical to the one Squall had just mentioned had been involved in an assassination of the one of the warlords that had ruled part of Japan in feudal days. The reason such a blade would be used to kill someone so powerful would be because the only weapons rebels could bring close to the warlord were gifts. The samurai of legend that had slain the man had been put to death, but the blade still existed in a museum in Japan. As a child Nida had once been within five feet of the original on a school trip. _

_"Do you like it?" the history major asked of the asian._

_Warm brown eyes smiling at the quieter male were answer enough. A pale skinned hand reached out to brush over the crimson and gold binding around the hilt that moved down to the image of a dragon wrapping around the base of the hilt and holding a large, fake, ruby in its mouth. The cross guard was a dark, black painted steel and moved into the beautiful folded steel flawlessly. Of course, Nida could not see this part of the metal because of the fact that it was hidden by a sheathe that was also lovingly hand made._

_"Squall, you shouldn't have. This cost FAR too much."_

_  
"You're worth it Nida. Besides, a friend of mine was having a set made, so I threw in the order as well. I got a bit of a discount for going in with him… Now come on, try it out."_

_The college student gently lifted the 31 inch sword from the box and waited for the older one to move the box out of the way so that he could stand. Once standing the asian led his friend to the dining room, which had always been devoid of any real furniture save the custom laid wooden flooring and the padded practice mats laid upon those. Along the walls hang glass cases holding varying katanas, wakizashis, tachis, and tantos. Cheaper versions, wooden practice swords, and other Japanese weapons hung upon the walls without cases to protect them. Once situated in the center of the room, glancing to the only piece furniture that being a wooden practice dummy that Squall quickly moved out of the way, Nida prepared himself. The brunette male with stormy eyes handed over the weapon, which Nida tied around his waist by the cord attached to the hilt. A smile touched Nida's pale lips as Squall backed up to the wall. _

_There was a flash of silver as the blade was pulled out. It practically sang as it was brought out to the air. The few florescent lights that accented this room cast just enough light to accent the blade in all the right ways, showing off the flawlessness of the weapon. The sharp edge sang as it cut through the air while Nida put it through the paces. Soon the male and weapon were moving in the graceful dance of death that Squall had enjoyed the privilege of watching only three times before this. Then, as quickly as the fought with some unseen menace began, it was over, and Nida bowed to the air and his invisible foe. _

_"Beautiful," he purred as he moved to Nida's side and covered the hand upon the hilt of the blade with his own. _

_A gentle kiss was shared by the two as the blade moved between them to where the sheathe awaited it. It wasn't until Squall's hiss of pain that either realized what had happened. The history buff backed up a step and looked at his thumb. A small cut stretched across the pad of his thumb, coming from inadvertent contact with the blade while the two were distracted by more enjoyable things. Yet a smile finally came to them anyway as Nida took the injured appendage and licked the blood clean for his lover. Squall smirked._

_"Nida…" the male purred, "Can't do this tonight. I've got a morning class tomorrow."_

_"Shame isn't it though? Not getting to spend our anniversary together…"_

_"I'll make it up to you tomorrow. Call me okay?" the brunette said, finally pulling away from the embrace of the other man, an embrace he hadn't seemed to notice until he was forced to remove himself from it._

_The young businessman smiled. Well, he wasn't really a businessman yet. Sure, he had a few degrees in Business already, but he was still working for some business associates of his father. While he was yet to actually have extensive power, the word around the building was that he was due for a promotion soon. "I'll call you tomorrow when you get out of class. I'll count the hours until I can see you again."_

_With a smile and a final kiss the grad student moved towards the front door. After pulling on the black leather coat he was never seen without and picking up the box which contained Nida's anniversary gift to him, a handwritten and hand bound book of haiku that Nida had copied down in its original kanji. Once Squall was gone the asian moved to one of the glass cases and placed the new weapon upon an empty set of pegs, taking out a cheaper show piece so that the expensive one could be safe. With the extra blade in hand he moved to clean up the box and other things from Squall's visit. _

_Most of the place was cleaned up when Nida headed for his room. The blade, which he'd not found a place to put just yet, he tossed to the bed before moving to grab a towel. A shower was definitely needed after the day he'd had. While he'd had plenty to enjoy that evening between dinner, movies and reading part of his gift to Squall, it had been a long day at the office and he needed to relax. The hot drops of water stung at his skin, but it was a small comfort. _

_When he finally removed himself from the shower, his body was relatively dry while his hair was still sopping wet. A large white towel was collected from a towel rack and wrapped around his waist while a second was used to dry the coal black strains of his hair. Once this final task was completed the asian moved towards his bedroom to change. From his mahogany dresser a set of silken pajamas was selected, last year's anniversary gift from Squall. And once the emerald folds covered him, he moved to his bed, intending fully to roll back the covers and rest up for the next day._

_Except that was never what he got to do…_

_-------- _

"So, you intend for us to believe that all you did was head to bed? Wrong Nida, your story was different yesterday," Seifer hissed at the dark haired male.

"Detective, did I even begin to imply that this was where my night ended? I have admitted to causing harm to Mister Yamamoto, but only in self defense. Now, if you would allow me to reach this part for Miss Loire's benefit…"

Now it was Ellone's turn to cut him off. "Do you really expect me to believe that my little brother was not only at your home on the night in question, but that he is also involved with you?"

"You may believe what you desire ma'am. You could ask him if you desire as well. You could even ask him to show you which of my wakizashis it was that he was injured upon. All that I ask is that you do not tell him what it is you suspect I have done. I know he would defend me, and lose face in your eyes were he to do so."

"Nothing Squall can do will cause him to lose my respect for him," the woman said, and her words were sincere. She fully intended to ask Seifer to go with her to question Squall about this later.

"Well then, as I was saying…"

_-------- _

_"You know, I always preferred you in black, but green does suit you just as well," a voice came from the shadows of the room. _

_While it had been more years than he cared to remember, that voice, the fear it caused in him since that day, it had never changed. Nida really didn't care how Rei had gotten into his home, or even why, but he knew the man had, which did not bode well. His last several encounters with the other asian had all ended very poorly and had forced him out of home and away from anyone that had ever mattered to him. Already he'd been driven from many places. After his encounter with Rei as a freshman in high school he'd convinced his mother to let him to move in with his aunt in Chicago for the rest of high school. When Rei had turned up there at Nida's graduation, the young man had fled to Boston for college. Then when Rei had shown up at one of his classes towards the end of his senior year in Boston, Nida had been forced to head for New York for his graduate studies. More than anything, he was tired of running from Rei, and he wasn't going to let the man drive him away from the best thing he had ever had in his life._

_Years of martial arts training had paid off, Nida realized, as he sprung forward to grab the wakizashi he'd removed from its case when Squall had been over from an end table where he'd placed it upon starting to change. It was the tsking sound and the cocking of a gun that kept him from drawing the sharpened blade. _

_"Now now Nida, Aren't you going to give me a proper welcome?" the voice said as the man stepped from the shadows. _

_Time had been good to Rei, but then again, it always had. Hair the color of ink fell in rivulets down his back and shoulders, far longer than Nida had ever seen it before. The eyes that had always been a purer brown than Nida's held the same malicious smirk that they had the first time that Rei had ruined Nida's life. Skin like china was hidden beneath a turtle-neck, pants, boots and gloves of the purest black. More than anything Nida was aware of the muscle mass that obviously covered the elegant asian he had once thought himself in love with. This was the man that had broken him, that had led him to learn to fight, that had driven him to Squall… It was the one he'd sworn he would never see again._

_I don't know why you are here Rei, and I can honestly say I don't care. Leave here before I call the cops, Nida hissed, his tongue slow and careful at first with the language he'd not actually spoken aloud since his last encounter with the dangerous one. _

_And what will you tell them Nida? Do you really think that they will be able to do anything? Or, more importantly, do you really think that you can do something after all of these years of just sitting back and taking it like a good boy? the older one said, his voice whispering like wet silk over rocks and yet still powerful enough to immobilize the younger. _

_Honestly, he didn't know what exactly he could do. He had not laid eyes upon the other male in several years. The last time he HAD seen Rei he had made sure to flee before words had really become needed. This time all of the words he'd prepared, all the things he had said he would do… they didn't seem to be real at all. It was kind of like they were all just some pleasant dream from happier times when Rei was just some bogey man that a child had dreamt up._

_"So… Who was that delicious looking boy that was just here?" Yamamoto asked as he moved to Nida. "He should think twice before moving in upon my territory."_

_While he wanted more than anything to call Rei so many things, he did not want Squall to suffer for it all. Yet somehow he found the strength to say what needed to be said. "I am not yours, and you are to stay away from him. Just go away and never come back!"_

_"Sorry love, I'm not just some dream you can will away. Come here Nida, and we will make up for the time we've lost. I promise that you won't regret it. I promise I will leave your little boy toy alone if you do…"_

_It was the same old promise, with a brand new twist. The tone Rei had taken made it more than obvious that Nida was either to comply with the demand he had refuse so many times before, or those he loved would be at risk. Yet as much as he knew from experience that Rei never harmed people that would actually stand against him, as much as he knew that Rei would not actually hurt someone to get at Nida, there was a bad feeling that this time was different. Still, he wasn't going to back down so easily, not with Squall on the line._

_You wouldn't._

_Try me._

_Before he knew it Nida had lunged forward. No one threatened his Squall. He had no clue what he intended to do if he got his hands upon Rei, but he knew that he might get into some trouble for it… Except Rei would never go to anyone to get help, he would get his own revenge. _

_The press of a muzzle against his cheek halted him just before he could put his hands around the throat of the greatest of the evils in his life. _

_Now now, let us not be hasty. Come, we should take the chance to catch up…_

_The way it was said, so cold and dead, sent a tremor of fear down the back of the businessman. _

_First, you're going to put on some real clothes, and then you're going to come, very peacefully, with me to the dining room. Then we'll have our little talk._

_With the gun against his cheek, a threat to Squall still hanging in the air, and the feel of Rei's breath on his neck as the male leaned close to whisper in his ear, Nida realized how final this all was. No matter what he tried, he could never win…_

_Gun still trained upon Nida, Rei searched through the dresser for clothes that were not much different from his own. No words of protest came from Nida as he changed under the watchful eyes of the older asian. A man like him did know when they were down and out. With new clothes on and a gun pressing against his back, Nida was herded towards the dining room and forced to kneel upon the wooden floor. The wakizashi was no longer in his hand, but he hadn't realized when it happened. _

_You've come far Nida, from the sniveling, cowering kid that I took under my wing way back in middle school. Graduation from the most prestigious private high school in Chicago, as the valedictorian no less. Then graduation from one of the premier colleges in Boston in Business, intending to take after your father no doubt. Then a Masters in Business in only a year and a half, making you quite the young businessman. I must approve of where I have gotten you. What I don't like is this young blood you hang around, and your constant fleeing from me._

_Some resistance still lingered in the eyes of the younger male. It flared up as he hissed his response._

_You have gotten me no where you son of a bitch. All you have done is try to foil me at every turn. All you have done is ruin my life countless times. The only place you have gotten me is far from my home and my parents, and for it I curse your name and your family._

_Touchy are we, Rei asked as he kneeled by the seated man, gun pressed against his leg and gloved fingers brushing against his cheek. I'll break that habit in you in time. Would you like to know just what I have been doing for you Nida?_

_The way the words were purred, the way the leather rubbed against his cheek, the way the lips of his greatest enemy brushed against his neck… It was far to much. Despite the gun Nida sprung up, forcing Rei away from him, anger and fear and denial in his eyes. Anything Rei did in his name was bound to be bad. _

_The laughter that escaped from Yamamoto was so far from what Nomura had expected, that he froze in place. How could Rei find this whole thing amusing? And before he knew it, Nida was forced up against the wall, the sheath and hilt of a tachi that hung upon the wall pressing hard into his back. A groan of pain escaped him as Rei's hand pressed around his neck._

_How dare you lay your hands upon me you pathetic little whelp? For that I should cut your hands off… Good thing that I'm just a little too well known for that… They'd just think I had changed my MO to include pretty little guys of your age. And we don't want that now do we? It would be bad if the Butcher lost his reason for killing._

_To say Nida's jaw grew slack would be an understatement. It was closer to falling off. Did that mean… He was shocked from his thoughts as Rei pulled a glove off so he could caress the skin of his cheek. The temptation to turn and bite the offending appendages came over him, but the press of a gun to his stomach stopped any hope of that. _

_"You… You… Oh God…"_

_The sick feeling in his stomach would not go away. Gods on high, let it be that this would not be the truth. Do not let Rei be…_

_I do it for you Nida. If you hadn't run away from me then they'd all still be alive today. But I have to hunt you down, and others have to pay for that. Just give in and I will stop. Don't let more innocent blood be on your hands too…_

_He flinched away from the words, eyes closing as tight as he could make them. How could someone do something like that? _

_Would you like to know how I kill them? How I keep those silly little cops guessing? Would you like to know what no one else knows?_

_No, Nida begged, still turned away, No. You're lying. Never. Even scum like you can't do a thing so soulless._

_Oh, so I'm soulless now? Well then, I will tell you everything…_

_With the ungloved hand he grabbed Nida's chin and forced the face of the younger man to meet his own. A violent kiss was forced upon the one who had always been a victim, and he couldn't even do anything to free himself from it, for fear of his own death. _

_Do you remember Nida, our first time together? You asked me what I meant to you… Do you remember what I told you? the killer said upon pulling away from the younger male._

_Nida bit his lip. This was bad. He remembered, oh how he remembered. Such a sweet lie that had lead to all of this. Everything._

_Yes Nida, good to see your memory is still intact. Would have been a shame if you repressed the whole damn thing… Well, I carve it in kanji on their arms Nida. They never say that in the newspaper you know. I start by finding them Nida. They all have something major in common with you. They have your face, or your hobbies, or your origins. But most of all, all of them have your eyes. That is why I pick them. Those beautiful eyes like hot coffee and so full of the pain of the soul before I had a chance to cause the pain. Just like your eyes were when I first picked you. So I take them, after making them trust me. I tie them up like I tied you up, and I touch them like I touched you. Then I slit their pretty little wrists like you would have wanted your wrists slit after I used you. I carve on their arms, because you wanted to hear that word so badly. Then, my little Nida, I take their eyes out. Those eyes are my prizes. I keep them safe, so I can look in them and think of you my love. And I cut open their chests Nida, so I can touch their hearts like I once touched yours. It's all for you Nida, but in the end they are never you. Never you…_

_The words echoed round and round in Nida's head. It hurt, and it was so cruel. Had so many truly died because he fought? Dear god, was all of this mourning his fault? Nida refused to believe that. He was innocent. He was a victim, just like them. Except he wasn't. He was the first victim. He was the reason. His fleeing was the catalyst that had borne a serial killer. _

_Dear god, Nida moaned, knowing he was going to be sick._

_Just come with me Nida and no one else needs to die. I'll even leave your precious Squall alone… Maybe. I can't help but wonder if his blood tastes as sweet as theirs. They say that the blood of a virgin is sweet, but what about the blood of a naïve little fool?_

_Nida snapped at that, He's not naïve and you won't be touching him. You won't be touching anyone! You are the worst thing that has ever been!_

_With a push he had Rei away from him, and yet he wasn't surprised that the gun was still pointed at him. All he could think of was escaping. He wouldn't be the next victim, and he wouldn't let Squall be one either._

_Before he could do anything more though, Rei was against him again. The dark eyes burned with fury, and the gun was pressed into him even harder than before. Cruel lips pressed against his as a hand tightened around his throat. While Nida did struggle he knew that he wouldn't last long like this. One hand scrambled behind him to find any weapon, and it came to rest upon the hilt of a tachi that hung particularly low upon the wall. Pale fingers wrapped around the familiar binding as he felt Rei's lips moving over his neck. _

_"No!" he shouted, drawing the blade out in the same motion and pressing it against the other man's gut. Yet before he could deliver a real blow Yamamoto had jumped back a step. Forward Nida stepped, shifting the blade in his hands so that it was held properly in his right hand. Now the other man, the tormentor of old, backed up a few steps, his eyes flashing violently. Before Nida could press the next attack the killer had tucked the gun into his belt and he jumped back to grab a katana down from the wall. The two fought, Nida at a heavy disadvantage because of his shorter blade, as if this was an ancient sword dance, where one wrong near miss could turn fatal. And it very nearly did. _

_The fought had carried the two from the converted dining room to the living room. Each step found the two nearing the large glass window in the living room that looked out over the busy streets below the apartment building. Before Nida knew it he was forced down upon the couch, the razor sharp tip of his favorite katana hovering inches from his neck. He had lost, and his life would be the price. _

_Bad boy Nida. Now you must pay._

_As the blade pulled back, Rei intending to cut the head off with a single slash, Nida felt as if time had slowed. In a moment the tachi was swung out, cutting into the side of the male and becoming stuck in a rib. With wide eyes Nida watched as Rei backed up, shock on his face and the tachi sticking from his side. The katana he held was dropped to the floor, and he continued to step backwards towards the large glass window. Even now a smile graced those cruel and lovely features. _

_This will work just as well Nida, because now your fate is mingled with mine…_

_And with that the injured asian turned and smashed through the window, falling three floors from the window of the large apartment to the street below in a shower of broken glass. _

--------

"The next thing I remember is sirens and pounding on the door. When I opened it the cops were there and I was arrested. They found stuff in my room that Rei had brought with him, and thought it was mine. Thought he was the victim, so here I am…" Nida finished, looking down at the table.

"I see…" Ellone finally responded. The story all sounded rather far fetched, but she believed this man. "Thank you Nida. That will be all."

Siefer moved to the door that led into the hall and opened it, beckoning an officer in to escort Nida back to his cell.

The young asian businessman, much to Ellone's distress, allowed the cop to put on the hated cuffs far too tight, and even let the man push him roughly from the room. It wasn't until the door was closed that the two spoke.

"Looks like we'll have to talk to Squally-boy," Seifer mentioned with a sigh. The two were famous for their inability to get along.

Ellone nodded, "And find both that katana and the wakizashis Nida brought up."

"He knows everything about the murders, except one detail…" the detective said, though very quietly.

"And that would be?" Ellone asked.

"The white rose he always leaves behind on the bodies…" Seifer said.


	4. Captivated

Author's Notes: Whoot, more stuff! New characters this chapter are Selphie Tilmitt, attorney at law and the defense attorney for Mister Nida Nomura. Quistus shall also have a short cameo as an ICU doctor at the hospital where the evil Rei is… currently. Unfortunately it's only a very short cameo. She was supposed to be there for a little bit at the end of last chapter, but that kinda fell through. But this chapter we do get a better look at Squall and his role. Maybe too close of one for Seifer's comfort, but so what?

* * *

Chapter 4: Captivated

To put it simply, he was very good at what he did. So good, in fact, that he had awoken here in this hospital a few hours ago, and the nurses were still yet to figure this out. It was almost amusing to him, to watch them move about them, hoping to awaken the patient they thought comatose. Man, they must have put some newbie nurses on call, because if they couldn't figure it out yet. Still, there was one person here he had to be wary of as he planned his escape. Once or twice he'd seen her pass by through the small slivers that one could constitute as open eyes. She was taller for a woman, with what he assumed was golden hair. That was as much as he could see though without 'waking' or without the woman coming closer, two things he didn't want.

Except it was less his bad luck and more hers when she finally did come close enough to notice that he was awake despite the appearances. It was late, nearly midnight, and thus the room was barely lit aside from the many monitors around him. She had come in, he heard from the way she called over her shoulder to someone, to check upon him one last time before she headed out for the night. He knew that were she to figure out that he was awake she would summon the police officers waiting for him to awaken for questioning, and he did not desire to be questioned. So once she got close enough that he could read her name tag, once she was close enough to let out a gasp of shock, his hand flashed out and grabbed her around her neck.

"Listen up Quistus," he said, saying the name off of the card, "Make a sound and I WILL kill you. If you behave you might just live long enough to care for another patient."

Nervously the blue eyed woman nodded, and he was amused how similar she was to Nida with that terrified look in her eyes and the way her slender throat felt under his hands.

"You're going to get me out of here without being questioned, got it?" he whispered in her ears. "Now… take all of these lines and monitors off of me."

The woman quickly went about the task, knowing that she had to help him or risk her own life, but never once knowing that she had no hope of survival anyway.

--------

Another day had passed, something they had to allow to happen. Ellone had been adamant about not interrupting her brother as he worked upon his finals. This had irritated the blonde detective to no end, but he had agreed, if only because it would allow that Nida guy another day to stew in the slammer and another day for Rei to potentially awaken. Yet when the call came, he knew it was time.

Almasy sighed as he hung up the phone. This was the last thing that he had needed. Sure, a serial killer loose in his city had been bad, but a witness gone, a doctor abducted, and the suspect swearing on his life that it was the fault of that witness…

"Seifer, you look tense," Ellone said as she came to his desk, holding out a cup of coffee. This was a peace offer and a bribe all wrapped up in one. She was asking him to stay calm considering the disappearance of the head of ICU at Mercy General, one Miss Quistus Trepe, and bribing him to behave when they went to talk today with one of their witnesses.

"How can I not be Ellone? I've got a missing doctor, Rei Yamamoto on the loose and potentially homicidal, and instead of fixing that I've got to interrogate your brother."

"No interrogating, he is not a hostile witness Seifer," she pointed out, sitting across from him.

"Still, he might be covering for Nomura."

She rolled her eyes, "Are you serious? You know Squall wouldn't do that, even to make you mad."

"You never know. We've never gotten along."

"All your fault," she said, standing and lifting his keys off of his desk. "Come on, I'm driving."

--------

The storm of the century was brewing at the front door of his apartment, and the cause of it was a blonde man hiding behind his badge and with his own sister at the man's side.

"Detective Almasy," spoke the younger male, his voice cold and hard.

It was quite uncommon for Squall to become so negative to people, but Seifer had always brought out the best in him.

"Mister Loire," the blonde growled back, glaring just as hard.

"Um, can we come in brother?" Ellone asked, hesitant to come between the two.

"Of course," the brunette male said after a moment, stepping inside to allow the duo entrance. "I assume this is not a casual visit."

"Sadly it is not. Please, sit down. We'd like to ask you a few questions about a Mister Nida Nomura…"

Instantly Squall perked up, and despite the bit of fear in him about his sister knowing of his significant other, the fear of why they would question him about the asian male.

"What is it that you would like to know Detective," Squall said, speaking pointedly to Seifer. He had never approved of his sister's job.

"He claims that three nights ago you spent part of the evening in his residence…"

"It was our anniversary, and he hasn't called me since. I assume you know more of why that is than I do."

With his normal scowl the man wrote this information down on a notepad. "You gave to him a sword or something…"

"Wakizashi," Squall corrected quickly. "The term 'sword' is a great generalization and cannot accurately describe the blades common in the island of Japan and surrounding areas. A wakizashi, on the other hand, is curved, a katana style weapon and is far more dangerous. Yes, I gave him a wakizashi for our anniversary. It was a replica of an ancient blade used to assassinate a great man in Japanese history."

"Approximately what time did you leave?" Seifer continued once Squall had finished his rambling.

"Well, I got home at about ten that night, so I'd assume I left about nine, nine-thirty. I had to stop by a friend's house first to get my cut cleaned though. I accidentally cut myself on the weapon mentioned when he was putting it away."

"And was he with you on the night of March 10th this year?"

For a moment the male thought before his eyes went wide. "That is the night that that killer attacked the first boy… You think that Nida is involved?"

"Now Squall," Ellone said, quickly trying to calm her brother, "We didn't say anything about that…"

"They said there was an arrest a few days ago involved in the case. You think Nida did it. He didn't. He was with me that night, and on the night of the third murder. And he was having dinner with his family who was visiting from California on the night of the second. But of course the great Seifer Almasy wouldn't think to check up on that before accusing Nida of such a heinous thing!"

"Just shut up for a minute Loire so I can finish these damn questions!" the blonde shouted back.

"I bet you didn't even look into his past did you?"

Seifer scoffed and glared hard at Squall, "You never really think things out do you? Of course I looked it up. Too bad it's too fucking hard to find anything on the guy. It's like he was invisible before coming to New York."

The fact that Squall quickly stood put both Ellone and Seifer on edge. Squall was never one to act rashly, so the fact that he was this agitated, even in the familiar and quite unwelcome presence of Seifer, was a disturbing sight.

"So this is what he meant," Squall said to himself as he paced back and forth across the room.

"What are you talking about Squall?" Ellone questioned as he stood up.

"Last year, on our last anniversary. We talked for a long time, and he said that if he were ever just to up and leave that I shouldn't look for him. He made me promise, which is why I was so worried that he didn't call me when he promised he would. He also told me that if some weird asian guy were ever to show up at my door claiming to be his friend, to not open the door and call the cops. I never understood why. Just thought it was some jealous ex-boyfriend, or maybe even a family member he thought wouldn't approve of us…"

Between the detective and special agent a look of shock, and possible understanding passed. Both had the same thought.

"Did he ever tell you that this person might threaten you, or why he was running from the person?" Squall's sister pressed.

Once more the brunette male sat, a troubled look upon his face. "You know, for the longest time he seemed to flip out if anyone he didn't know got close to him, always seemed to be looking over his shoulder. I would have just passed it off as paranoia if I didn't know him. He was running from something, no doubt about it. Yet he calmed down a lot in this past year. Still takes all of his self-defense classes and practices every night, which is also kinda odd…"

It wasn't that Squall stopped talking because there was nothing more to say, or because he just couldn't think of how to phrase something. No, it was the sound of Seifer's phone ringing that cut him off. With a sigh the Detective stood and moved to the kitchen to answer it.

"Yo, Almasy here. What ya got?"

"Seifer, we've got news on the whereabouts of Doctor Trepe," the voice said into the phone.

"You found her then? Is she okay?"

There was silence on the line for a while, and then, "She's dead Seifer."

"Shit," the man swore into the phone.

"There is more," the male from the HQ said, "There was a white rose with her. She wasn't cut up in the usual ways either. The characters on her arm are new… We're trying to get a translator now."

Very little made Seifer speechless, and this was not about to be one of them. "I've got a capable translator right here. Send a picture of them to my phone… Except, do me a favor, copy them onto a paper. The guy is a little squeamish."

"Yes sir. I'll get that to you in a few minutes."

Once the phone was hung up Seifer moved to the living room once more. "Squall, you know Japanese Kanji right?"

"Yeah, Nida gave me a whole book of Haiku written in it for practice."

"I need you to translate something for me."

Ellone's eyes went wider than Seifer had ever before seen. "Are you serious? Where from?"

"I'll tell you about it in the car," the blonde said as his cell phone vibrated. The second the sent picture was opened he handed it over to Squall. "What does that say?"

If the pale skinned grad student could be considered frail now, the look that came to his face was worse yet. "This part says 'My Everything' and the other says 'Hands off him'…"

"Is that all?" Seifer asked, sure it couldn't cause that look in Squall's eyes.

"Seifer… It's addressed to me."

The detective blinked in shock. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, before all of the other stuff it says, it reads 'Squally-boy'."

--------

"What do you mean by 'we're releasing your client'? How dare you? He hasn't paid the bond or anything!" the high voice of a perpetually pale yellow suit clad woman demanded over the phone as his car sped through the streets of New York.

"He's not guilty Selphie. I thought you would be happy with that news."

"Happy? Are you kidding me? You're taking a man in danger from the real murderer, whose boyfriend has been threatened because of him, out of the safety of the jail cell? Are you insane Seifer? You might has well wrap him up with a bow and put him on the street with a big sign reading 'Come and get him'!"

The blonde detective glared at the cell phone. Even with the head set being held away from him by Ellone, even with Squall in the back seat looking very panicked, even with him fucking speeding she was giving him a hard way to go.

"We're not just putting him on the fucking streets. You think I'm that stupid Selphie?"

"Honestly? Yes Detective, I do."

"Well I'm not. Squall's being put into witness protection along with Nida. We're sending them somewhere safe until we catch this bitch."

"And why do you think that Rei is going to stay here when he knows you know about him? If he's been stalking my client as long as Nomura says he has, he's just going to ditch until things calm down and he can find him again."

"That isn't happening on my watch Selph."

"Seifer, you're making a very big mistake," she finally gave in with a sigh.

"Yeah, you said the same thing when I graduated with you, but just remember, I'm the detective and you're just the attorney."

"Hello, I make more money than you Seifer. I hold by my opinion of you being the one to make the mistake with this whole thing."

At last Ellone could no longer stand it. "Selphie, just remember you're on speaker phone and my brother is in the back seat."

"Oh? Really? Hey Squall! You gotta come over to my house sometime after we catch this bitch. I'll make you lots of cookies."

Maybe the youth would have protested, but it was shaken out of them as the car before them skidded to a stop. It swerved and spun to eventually rest in such a way that it blocked the police vehicle. Swearing the blonde slammed both feet on the brakes, only to stop just inches from the other car.

"You guys stay here. I'm gonna see what is going on," Ellone said, quickly unbuckling and climbing out of the vehicle. Before Seifer could stop her the woman had rushed to the other vehicle, and thus to the driver.

Everything happened in slow motion now. One second Ellone was looking in the car door of the vehicle, the next a gun was held to her head. For a moment Seifer was stunned, and then the shock was lost as Rei Yamamoto stepped from the car, shirt bloody and arm around the woman's neck. The gun at her head kept him from getting out of the car. But Squall had no such inhibitions. In seconds the youth was out of the car.

"Ellone!" he shouted.

"Careful there kiddo," Rei purred, his voice silken to Seifer's shock. He'd expected the youth to have a rougher voice, for his English to be a little flawed. The man had such a look that it would have been hard to remember he was a native born Californian had Seifer not known that. "Another step and it's curtains for your sis."

"Squall, get back in the car," Seifer growled before hanging up on the shocked and protesting voice of Selphie.

"But he's got Ellone!" the youth protested.

"He's using her to get to you so that he can get to Nida," the blonde pointed out.

"Very good detective, very good indeed," the asian mocked. "But let's get something straight, my problem is with this little boy right here, not with Nida. My love will come around once this boy is out of the way. Now, Squally-boy, if you come here I won't hurt your beloved sister…"

"Don't you even dare Squall!" Ellone shouted before being slapped by her captor.

"When I need your opinion I will ask it," Rei whispered right into the woman's ear. "Now, you tell your brother all nice and calm that you won't be hurt if he just gives himself up."

Seifer had started to reach for his gun now that the attention of the killer was upon Ellone fully. One shot was all he needed to end this madness.

"And detective," the male continued, not even glancing towards the blonde, "Take that gun out and both of them die… And in far less pleasant ways. Now, come out with your hands up and stand by our dear boy…"

"Don't Seifer," Squall said. There was something in the low voice, in the way that a fire Seifer had never seen before burned in the eyes of the brunette, something that made him do just what Squall commanded.

"You win Rei. That is your name isn't it?" the brunette continued.

"Of course little boy. Aren't you scared of me?" the asian asked.

"Not of you, only of how you treat those around you like toys. But I'll make a deal with you anyway. You let Ellone go and you can have me. I can't guarantee that you'll benefit from it, but you can have me."

"Come here then kid."

"Squall, don't," Seifer hissed. "Just don't."

"I've got to Seifer, for Elle. Tell my father not to worry okay? I'll be fine."

"How can you be sure of that?"

Squall just smiled, "He needs me intact to lure Nida to him, isn't that right?"

"You're rather smart for a history buff," Yamamoto laughed. "Now, once you come here I'll release dear Ellone."

With a sigh the youngest of those assembled lowered his head and made his way for the car of the murderer. Not once did he look back, not even when Rei released Ellone and sent her towards Seifer. Nor did he fight back when Rei pushed him into the car and drove off, after shooting out the tires of Seifer's car that is.

So Seifer just held Ellone as she cried. As much as he hated the twerp, he had to admit that the kid had guts…


	5. Frustration

Author's Notes: I would have had this up sooner, but my computer crashed and I lost the chapter in progress and I haven't had the heart to try and rewrite what I had done. Because there was nothing at all left. Sad, isn't it? It really is. Sorry. Working on this. But I have neglected enough. So this one goes out to Raine because she's been patient with me. I promise I will try not to leave this for too long!

* * *

Chapter 5: Frustration

Once more he found himself in that damn small room, hands and ankles chained to the wretched metal chair. The only thing that kept him from freaking out was the fact that he could HEAR his attorney's voice in the hall. Of course, it was just faintly and that meant he had no clue what was going on, but it had to be something very, very bad for this much noise to have been generated. Noise in a place like this always meant something bad was happening in the world outside, and if it involved Nida's case…

Without any warning the door swung open, hard enough for the knob to slam into the wall before the bulk of Seifer Almasy entered the room to hold the door open for several others. One was the small form of a woman clad in a bright yellow suit, something that often caused pain to Nida's eyes when taken with the sudden contrast of it against his gray cell walls, or the darker tans of this very room. The next was a very on edge Ellone, her eyes red with tears and untold worry. After her slunk in two others, ones Nida recognized instantly and his heart fell with that knowledge.

"Damnit Nomura, I don't really understand all of the shit that is going on here, but I want it cleared up RIGHT NOW!" Seifer started the second the door was closed. The last two words were punctuated by the detective actually kicking the metal door and leaving a rather impressive dent without seeming to feel the slightest amount of pain.

The young businessman-to-be shifted nervously under the glare of the emerald eyes, knowing that the blond would enjoy nothing more than tearing him to shreds right now. How could he not really? Nida hadn't heard much about the situation yet, but he knew something had gone terribly wrong if Seifer had pulled Squall's parents into what could only be called a brutal interrogation. He didn't even feel the slightest bit comforted when his attorney, who insisted he call her Selphie, rested her deceptively strong hand upon his shoulder.

"Seifer," the woman spoke, trying her hardest to keep her voice level. "Yelling and damaging things is going to get us no where rather fast."

Alas, the words did nothing to calm the detective. "And WHAT exactly do you suggest in this case then? I've got another body, I've got a missing man, I've got a serial killer on the loose, and in possession of said missing man, and the only hope I've got to handle this all is this little bastard here who hasn't been giving us straight answers since the beginning!"

Selphie seated herself on the edge of the table, crossing both arms and legs and shaking her head slowly. "And your behavior really isn't going to convince him to talk to you, now is it?"

"What the fu…"

"Please, stop it," Ellone's voice cut through the words like a knife through butter. Instantly everyone in the room was silent. The pure anguish on the profiler's face was more than enough to stop Detective Almasy in his tracks

Ellone frowned deeply as she looked to Nida, "Please," she said softly, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes, "Please help us Nida. You're the only hope…"

Finally it was his turn to talk, and the asian shifted to sit up straighter, "I need to know what is going on before I can even think of being able to help Ellone."

Total and utter silence, for the first time since he had been brought from his cell, dominated the room. No one seemed to move, seemed to breath, seemed to LIVE for those few seconds until Seifer reached out. At that point every breath was tense, as if everyone, even Seifer himself, feared he would strike Nida. But in the end all the man did was unlock the chains that kept Nida bound to the seat and floor. With only the sound of the chair scratching the floor to mark that he had actually moved, the dark haired male stood and rubbed his wrists, trying to numb the pain from them being, once more, put on far too tight. Everyone watched, waiting for the moment Nida would be ready.

At last Nida moved, with grace Seifer and Ellone were yet to see from him due to their limited contact, to stand before the two who had followed Ellone in. Their eyes were as red as hers, but they made no move to interfere with what was going on. Once more everyone was watching as the asian stood there, and then…

"I'm sorry," Nida said, something akin to pain creeping into his voice. "If… If you are here, Mr. and Mrs. Loire, then something must have happened to Squall. I'm… so sorry. I never wanted him involved in any of this. I wish I had just given into Rei years ago so your son never would have become involved with this. But I must admit to not being able to regret all of this, because if I hadn't have run so many times, I never would have met your son. I'm… I'm so sorry."

Selphie and Seifer watched on in shock as tears streaked down the face of the asian male, knowing better than to get between Nida and what he had to say… or what the Loire couple would have to say to him.

New tension filled the room, and even Ellone wasn't sure what was going to happen now. Her father was capable of many things, and she had no clue exactly how he would react to such an admission from the man who had been believed, just hours before, to have been a serial killer. But it was more her mother she was concerned for. As strong as Raine was, as determined as the woman could be, something like this could break the woman.

Finally something happened, this being in the form of Lagune Loire moving forward to wrap his arms around Nida. Silently he allowed the younger male to let his tears fall, acting as nothing more than an oversized pillow for the moment, until Nida regained control of himself. Then Laguna hugged the young man fiercely before at last releasing him.

"That's it, isn't it?" Nida asked of Laguna. "Something has happened to Squall, and it's all my fault isn't it? That is why you brought Squall's parents, right? You think that seeing them, hearing them plead for me to help would break me down, right Detective?"

It had been obvious, even before that, that though Nida spoke at Laguna, he was speaking to the blonde, who was now sitting in the chair that had been vacated.

"That was the plan," Seifer admitted softly.

"It wasn't needed," Nida whispered more to himself than to anyone else. "I would have let Rei kill me if I really thought it would have protected Squall. But when he tried, Detective, in my apartment… I knew that Squall would never want that. I knew that dying wouldn't satisfy Rei at all, that even having me would never satisfy the monster he has become. If I would have died that night, all you would have had was another victim with no reason, something you might have marked off as a copy-cat killing because I didn't fit the MO. Except from the beginning, I was the reason. Boys have died because I ran Detective, and if I had died, Squall would have been the next… And even though I almost killed him, it's not going to stop, is it? It won't stop until he's dead. Put him away if you want, but it won't STOP until he's six foot under."

Now Nida moved, well more of shifted slightly, to stand before Raine. His eyes were downcast, as if he couldn't bear to look at the mother of the man he loved. Sure, he could accept anything Laguna did to him, even if the hug had been a surprise, but Raine… How could he look the woman in the eyes, when there was such sorrow there? Did she blame him, for whatever it is that happened that no one had dared to tell him about yet?

"Mrs. Loire," he said, barely able to get the words out. "I can never tell you how sorry I am for letting this happen. I should never have become close to your son. Broken hearts would have mended in time, both his and mine, but I fear something will happen that will change us all forever."

"Nida," the woman said softly, reaching out to place her hand on his cheek. Carefully he looked up at her, and saw only pity in those eyes. After a while the two broke apart, some silent agreement reached before he turned to look first at Ellone, and then Seifer.

"Okay… I'm ready now. Tell me."

"Rei Yamamoto," Seifer began slowly, "Escaped at approximately midnight, with the Head of the Intensive Care Unit, one Miss Quistus Trepe, as a hostage to assure his freedom. Two hours ago the same woman was found dead, while Ellone and I were interviewing Mister Squall Loire to confirm your story. New characters were carved into the flesh this time, and though she did not fit the normal victims and she wasn't cut up like the others, it was known that she was last with Mister Yamamoto, and the culprit was obvious. The characters proved to be a message, fully intended for said Mister Loire…"

At this point Seifer shoved a piece of paper that the characters had been copied onto towards Nida, and the asian paled. Well, paled would not be the term for it. The man was white as a sheet, all of the blood having drained from his face. His fingers moved over the characters while he mouthed the Japanese words, trying to find some way that what laid there could have been mistranslated or copied.

"Oh God," Nida said, shoving the message away. The words were so clear, so characteristic of Rei that Nida was almost sick. He could almost hear the man whispering them into his ear.

"Then you know what the paper says?" Seifer asked stoically. "Can you please read it so we can make sure you understand?"

Nida swallowed hard and stumbled over the words, "Squally-boy, he's my everything… hands off him."

Seifer nodded before continuing. "We asked Mister Loire to translate, not knowing the content of the message. You can imagine how he reacted. It was decided that with the proof that you could not possibly have been the one to commit the murdered, I informed your attorney that you were to be released, while we brought Squall in for protective services until Mister Yamamoto was removed from the public for the safety of all. Unfortunately, on the way back here an accident happened. The vehicle was cut off by Mister Yamamoto, who proceeded to use Miss Loire here as a hostage to gain the custody of Mister Loire…"

"Oh God," Nida repeated.

"Mister Loire gave himself over to save his sister, claiming that he would not have to worry about being harmed because…"

"Because Rei is using him as bait," Nida finished for the detective. "He's using Squall to get to me. He knows that I'll come for Squall's safety…"

"Which we cannot allow," Seifer pointed out.

"Not allow?" Nida said softly. "Not allow?" he repeated with more force. "How can you not allow something like this? You'd let him DIE?"

"Now I didn't…" Seifer started.

"Where is he! I'll go there now. A fair trade. And when Rei thinks he's safe you can bust him. I don't care. I just can't let Squall be harmed any further!"

Seifer's fist came in contact with the table, effectively silencing the protesting male. "You're so damn stupid. Even if you go to him willingly, do you think he's going to let Squall go?"

Once more the eloquent man stumbled over his words, not getting anything out before Seifer could resume his angry tirade.

"He won't! THAT is why I brought the Loire's in, to convince you NOT to do something so fucking rash like that!"

Dark brown eyes widened, the idea never really having occurred to Nida before. Then again, he hadn't known the extent of the situation in the first place, so what could one expect.

"There isn't much we can do at the second until he tries to contact you, tell you where you're supposed to go. So until then I refuse to operate on limited information. I want to know EVERYTHING about EVERY encounter you've had with this bastard. Got it?"

Slowly the male nodded, swallowing hard. It wouldn't be easy, to talk about it all, but he had to do it, for Squall, right?

"Fine," Nida said, "But… Could we do it somewhere a little less… cramped."

Seifer looked to the elder two of the Loires present and frowned at them. "I'm sorry, but…"

"I'll take care of them Seifer," Selphie said softly, rising from her place on the table to move to the distraught parents. "Come on, I think you two can use some hot coffee if not something to eat."

Raine nodded softly before pushing her husband towards the door. She might have even expected her daughter to follow, if she didn't know better.

Ellone slowly moved to open the door between this room and the one behind the two-way mirror. Monitoring equipment was turned off and two chairs fetched, one for herself and one for Nida. Once everyone was settled in their chairs Nida cleared his throat.

"I met Rei halfway into my seventh grade year, back when I lived in Los Angeles…"


	6. Bravado

Author's Notes: … Yeah, I promised last chapter not to leave this too long. Well as we can see that blew up in my face. As they say, you will have that. Skipping a long and drawn out part where Nida talks to Seifer and Ellone about his history and all. Really, it's not all vital and can easily be done in companion pieces. And I'm in a bad mood, which means I have to take it out on Nida. Nida: My Stress Relief.

* * *

Chapter 6: Bravado

"…And that is everything," Nida said, looking down at the hands folded in his lap. His whole body was quaking. It was bad enough to have lived through it all once. It was hard enough to dream of bits and pieces, namely of the other asian's eyes. But nothing was harder than having to relive every moment of every encounter that he could remember in the best details he could manage. And when one dealt with Rei, there weren't details that you forgot.

Seifer sat there, silent and frowning. Ellone was looking away from Nida, unable to believe half of what she had heard, but hardly believing he would lie to them. He'd had so much pain and suffering, and now Nida had to watch as others died because he hadn't just given up years before. Had to watch as his own lover's life was put on the line because he had failed to kill a man who had tormented him for so long. The fact that the man before them was reasonably sane was probably a miracle, all things considered. But there was nothing they could do about that right now. Right now the concern was with Squall, and what would happen to him.

"Nomura…" Seifer finally said, breaking the silence the trio had been sharing, "Right now we need to know what Rei would do to Squall… Where he might be… How he might contact you…"

"You don't seem to get my point Seifer," the asian man sighed, rubbing his temples. "There is no way to know where and when and what. Because, the truth of the matter is that right now he's holding all of the cards but one. He knows where and how and what, and controls every variable in the problem, hell, in a one mile radius of where ever he has Squall. He's only going to give us maybe thirty minutes to get where he wants us to be…"

To this the detective rolled his eyes. He'd been around criminals for far longer than this little business man, had lives depending on his decisions and had never once failed in what he set out to do. So who was this man before him to dare to question this? There was no criminal out there that could top him, especially when it was a friend on the line. Even a friend like Squall.

"Don't worry, we'll be ready Nomura. We're going to get this bastard and put him behind bars forever."

It took a bit of effort to keep a smile and a sense of reassurance around himself, but Nida was pretty sure he pulled it off well. Both Seifer and Ellone seemed to relax at the idea that Nida trusted them in this, but truth was that he was tense. This wasn't some sort of thing that they could do anything about, as much as they wanted to. It was time that he finally stopped running, time to take control. They couldn't understand.

"Nida, we need to know how he would contact you," Ellone said. "We have to know Nida. For Squall's sake."

He sighed, how could he not? They were expecting more than he could really give. "Rei knows more about me than you do. He knows everything there is to know and there is probably no one that knows where he has been since California. Predicting him is near impossible. But, forced to guess… He'd know my phone numbers: home, cell, work. All of them. A message delivered that way, but short, really short. He doesn't want to give you much information. This isn't about you, it's about me after all."

"I'll have someone check your phones," Seifer said, cut off moments later when Nida shook his head. Amazing how much authority went into a simple gesture when the asian wanted it.

"I have to go home first. He won't say anything if I'm still here. He needs to know that I'm doing this of my own free will. Please just understand that Seifer. He is in control. I will be the only wild card, the only thing that he can't completely control. He doesn't know what to think, understand? I fought BACK last time. I almost KILLED him. For the same man that is in question here. So he's worried about what I might do. I'm the reason we can be sure that Squall will be okay. But if he thinks for a moment that you planned what I'm going to do, then Squall's life is in danger. Got it?"

Both nodded to Nida, but only Ellone really seemed to accept it. Seifer still wasn't ready to put the life of an innocent into the hands of a man who had been suspected of being a serial killer. But there was no choice. This… this was why he wasn't supposed to get attached, to avoid this. Could they not see that he had to fix it? He had to stop running.

"Now, if you don't mind Detective Almasy," Nida spoke, breaking the silence that had been created in the wake of his orders. "I would like to go home and shower. Maybe get some real food in me once and deal with the bruises provided by my wonderful escorting officers."

The blonde gestured vaguely to the door. "Officer Dincht will get you your things."

His smile was half-hearted, and all to convince Ellone that everything would be okay. "Don't worry Ellone. I will help you get Squall back, if it is the last thing I ever do."

Her own smile was just as weak as he slipped from the room. Something in her though… something said that it might just be the last thing Nida ever did…

--------

The moment the door closed behind him, the lock clicking in place, Nida knew he could never live in his apartment again. While the most general efforts had been made to clean the place after the battle that had taken place there, the memories remained. They always did and always would. There, where the sword cases were on the wall, he'd been pinned with a gun, dark word had been whispered in his ear by a murderer. In his living room, where there was once a view of the city through huge windows… he'd almost sent a man to his death. And now Nida was wishing he had. For Squall's sake he wished he had.

Things had not gotten easier once he had left the station downtown. Speaking with Seifer and Ellone had solidified one thing in his mind. Everything he'd been through with Rei was in the open now. He'd seen their pity, their disgust, their horror. Did they not get it? That he was to blame for this? That Rei was his responsibility? If he'd only given in all those years ago, maybe those boys would still be alive. Families would not need closure for deaths, except maybe his own. And that, of course, brought his thoughts to his mother and father. He'd lost so much to Rei, including them.

Amazingly, the bathroom had hardly been touched. So far as Nida knew, Rei had not set foot in the room, and neither had the police. The crimson tiles were still flawless, and the water was hot as he took his first real chance to get clean. Yet, no matter how much he scrubbed he never felt clean. Couldn't get clean even when his skin was pink and raw and probably close to bleeding. Just couldn't get clean no matter what he did. Had Rei stood just outside of the bathroom, watching him shower through the near transparent shower curtain?

It had been this kind of paranoia that had taken Nida from the last few cities, from his other homes and lives. That had kept him from speaking to his family, from making friends, from allowing himself relationships. When had it changed? When had he grown comfortable, grown SURE that he'd be safe this time? That he could finally settle down and be happy? What kind of fool was he anyway? He had not right to be happy obviously, and no right to drag Squall into all of this.

A thick and fluffy red towel was wrapped around his waist as Nida shut the shower off. No point in trying to scald himself just yet. If he wasn't his fullest, if he couldn't stand from being so weak, how could he ever help Squall? Squall had been… No, Squall was so amazing. It had been so long since Nida had given up on himself, but Squall, he'd been there. Picked him up when he fell, kissed away tears from nightmares Nida wouldn't admit to having. He was tender and kind and gentle, everything Nida had wanted from Rei when he was younger. Everything he had always needed and never gotten. Squall was why. He was the reason that Nida had gotten lax over the years, why he'd finally been willing to risk things, risk staying still again. And what had Squall gotten for his troubles?

Soon the towel was abandoned on the bathroom floor and Nida moved out of the bathroom. Dark jeans and an even darker turtle-neck were taken from their places in his dresser as the asian strained to keep his eyes from the bed. That, that was something he hadn't told the detectives. How Rei had lain on his bed and watched him change, the gun pointed at him the whole time. How those eyes dancing over his body had made him tremble and feel like that week little kid Rei had bound to his own bed all those years ago. Never again would Nida be able to sleep in this room, or feel safe there. Never. So he merely pulled on the thick clothes as fast as he could before retreating to the only haven left in the whole of his 'home'. Not that he could call it home anymore. A home was an idea, of safety, of comfort, of happiness. There was none of that now.

There was one room he had always felt comfortable in. Originally it had been the second bedroom of the two bedroom apartment, but Nida had converted it to his needs. Bookshelves lined the walls and an artificial fireplace was against one wall, candles on the hearth instead of electric logs. A comfortable, plush couch-bed faced that fireplace, a lamp on one side resting upon an old end table. In another corner was his desk, piled with business work that he should have dealt with days ago, and would have if not for Rei. Here, amid the smell of old books and the freshly lit candles, here in the dim lights and curled up on the soft couch he could breathe. Breathe like he could no where else. For a few minutes the tension melted away, and all there was for him was the light of the candles dancing about the room and the utter silence.

Everything was good until a sound cut through that little bit of peace Nida was allowing himself. The ringing of his home phone, once, twice, thrice before the machine turned on. And slowly the voice of the killer came from the answering machine. Rei's voice. It filled the room and Nida could see the flames of the candles wane a little with the sound.

"Nida… I know you're listening my love, even if you aren't ready to talk. That is okay, we can talk later. Midnight actually. I texted the address to you. See you then… And don't forget the ring, my precious one."

Nida couldn't help but tremble when the machine beeped and turned off. So Rei was going to play that trick? Take even more from him? Figured. It really did. When Rei was around to drudge up the past he sure did it quite well. Or quite poorly, depending upon your opinions of the matter at hand.

Back in their childhood they'd had this secret way of communicating what they wanted. Nida had used it more than Rei, but it had been their way alone. Words were well and good, but Nida had always had an easier time expressing himself to Rei on paper than aloud. Maybe it was the fear of being judged. Maybe it was fear that word might get back to his parents. Or maybe it was just that saying some things out loud made them more real. Like now.

Well, long story short, it had been their way of communicating in a bit more secret. One would leave clues in spoken word about where a note would have been hidden. Sometimes it was in a movie, or a game box, or in this case a book. Nida had used the method far more than Rei, but Rei had been far better at sneaking the notes where they needed to be, and disguising the clues. But Rei had been rather blunt this time. Ring. Precious. One… The first edition collection of the Lord of the Rings that his father had bought him as a high school graduation present. Rei knew just how precious that collection was to Nida, and to think that he had gotten close enough to slip a note into the pages…

The slender asian rose from the couch and made his way to one of the many bookshelves lining the walls. He knew exactly where the books were of course, they were the favorites of his library after all, and though he used cheaper paper-back copies when reading casually, he had enjoyed just pulling them off the shelves and inhaling the smell of the bindings. But this time there would be no pleasure in the smell or the feel of the old books, and there probably wouldn't be ever again. He flipped through one, then another, before finally opening the second book of the trilogy and watching a plain envelope flutter to the floor. For a while all he could do was stare down at it, at his name written on it in smooth and elegant cursive, something Rei had not been known for. The Rei he had known, the Rei he had mistakenly loved, had handwriting one could only call chicken scratch. This… really didn't seem like something that Rei could have written. And yet… There it was, just where the man had said it would be.

Nida moved to the desk now, pulling out a small letter opener and cutting open the envelope. Once it was open he pulled out the three pages of neatly penned missive. Even there the beautiful writing continued, and yet from the very first word Nida was sure that this was in fact written by the man he had come to loath more than anything else in the world. He got no further than three sentences in before he found himself unable to stand and plopped down in the wingback chair.

_To My Dearest Nida,_

_I know what the first thing passing through your mind must be, but let me assure you that everything will turn out alright my love. Things are in motion that we are powerless to stop, for Fate herself is working to bring us back together. And she shall take away anything that stands before our happiness, that little whore included. _

_Oh yes, I know what you must be thinking my love. How could I be so cruel, how could I have done what I have done, is the little whore safe, and will we be able to be together again. All questions will be answered in time my love, but I feel that some answers can be given now. _

_It may not seem like much when it is written out on paper like this, but I am truly sorry for what happened all those years ago. I was young, and a fool, and unable to see just how much we loved each other. Nothing I can say will make up for what I've put you through over all of these years Nida, nothing. Except maybe this… I love you Nida, and I will do whatever it takes to get you to love me again. I've driven you away from so much, and I'm sorry. _

_I still don't know what possessed me to do that to you that day, or what has caused me to follow you ever since, but I'm working Nida, I'm working hard to control it. I know I need to practice more, because I find myself sneaking into your home more and more often to watch you with him, but can I be blamed? You are so beautiful my love, and I will not lose you to him. I can see it in your body when you are with him. Yes you make love to him, but you think of me the whole time don't you? Does it take all your self control to say his name and not mine? Don't worry my love, soon the lie that is your love for him will be gone as well, and everything will be okay. _

_So I must see you love. There is an abandoned warehouse near the docks. Come there before midnight and tomorrow we shall begin our lives anew… Begin our lives together. _

_Forever yours, Rei Yamamoto. _

--------

Midnight had come and gone by Seifer's watch, and the man was obviously not happy with that. There was no sign of Rei, or Nida, or Squall. In fact, the whole area seemed quiet. There was nothing at all happening in the old abandoned house where Rei had summoned Nida. Nothing at all. If you wanted to get clichéd on him, you'd say that not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Hell, even the rats seemed to be waiting with baited breath. What for no one could tell.

"Damnit Elle, I bet that bastard skipped town on us," the blonde hissed, foot tapping impatiently.

"He wouldn't do that Seifer. Not to Squall. I can tell."

"People lie Ellone," the detective shot back. "You'd think that in our line of work you'd have learned that by now."

The brunette smiled softly, "Right from the beginning he told us the truth about anything involving Squall. Really, I don't think he is the kind to turn tail and run at a time like this. Yes, maybe he did so in the past, but never, ever with Squall. Wherever Squall is now, be sure that Nida is with him."

Of course, all of Ellone's faith could have come at a better time. Because mere moments after she spoke a call came across the radio of their car. A call soon punctuated by a resounding 'boom' and the brilliance of an explosion not a mile away.


	7. Bad Days

Author's Notes: It's finally here, and only at the price of major woes at home. Then again, this seems to be the time of the year to write major woes so people will feel less bad about their own. Because, hey, look at it this way, your life at this moment has got to be a bit better than Nida and Squall's. Right? Of course I'm right. Sad to tell you I'm nearing the end of this, leaving two, maybe three proper chapters left if you include this one.

Good news? I've actually made a little soundtrack for these last few parts. Yes, I know it is lame, but I need something to write to, and the songs just ended up so 'this is how Nida feels', 'this is how Rei feels right here', and 'woah, they are probably both feeling this but not saying it'. I've enjoyed it, and if I could get my burner to work I'd have my own disk of Victim'eye'zed music to carry around.

Oh, and hail to the new wireless keyboard and mouse. Had to say it.

* * *

Chapter 7: Bad Days

He wasn't bound, he wasn't gagged, and he didn't even have a gun pointed to him. It wasn't those kind of things that kept Squall in his seat without moving. It wasn't those that kept him silent or made him behave. No, it was the threat against Nida that hung in the air like the sword of Damocles. One wrong move, one wrong word, and Nida would suffer for it, not Squall. He knew that. Rei knew that he knew that. It was the only thing that kept him from freaking out about the situation as it now stood.

If his internal clock was to be trusted, and it probably was, then it should be about midnight. There was no way of telling of course, because the windows were all painted black, the doors all closed, and it wasn't like there was some sort of clock to be found in an abandoned warehouse. That wasn't the point of an abandoned warehouse after all. The only things that were there were the chair he was sitting patiently in, Rei with his crazy grin, and the single lamp between them. There was the waiting of course, but that wasn't an actual thing.

"He won't come," Squall said softly. He had to say something. Even if he got hurt. He needed to KNOW what Rei intended to do. To him and to Nida. "The Nida I know won't come here. He'll let the police handle it!"

"You don't know the Nida I know," Rei chuckled. "You only know the face he dares to present to you. A man who acts kind and sweet. A man who seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. You don't know him as he really is."

"And you think you do? You've been following him from what I hear. And killing. Those poor people. Have you no regrets for that?"

Again the asian just smirked. "You really are foolish. Don't you understand? Nida has been working with me this whole time. He picked our marks. We had a bit of a fight. He wanted to kill you already. I said we needed you as an alibi. But we came up with a better one. The fight and him in jail. Me covering for him, him covering for me. And now we're using you as our card out of this hell hole. We'll disappear and start again somewhere else. Different victims, different style. But we'll keep going. Why do you think we've been to so many cities?"

"You're lying," Squall hissed angrily. He really hated being lied to. More than anything he hated people who couldn't find it in them to tell the truth. Maybe that was why he was such a good history major. He liked to find out both sides, to figure out what really happened, what the god's truth was.

"Now what would be the purpose of that Squall? I'm a very honest person. I will admit to killing those boys. But I will also admit that Nida was my partner in it all. I do it all for him after all, my sweet love. And before you die, you will get to see, for but a moment, what his love is really like. Poor thing, thinking you ever had a chance to know it. You were never worthy of my sweet little Nida."

"He's not yours!" Squall growled, jumping to his feet.

"That is where you are quite wrong Loire. You really don't know what is going on after all. Just a pitiful little outsider to our world. It is a shame it is that way of course, we don't much like outsiders…"

The young scholar whirled quickly towards the sound of the voice. A small side door had been opened and in it stood a man clad in black. He was beautiful like that, some sort of avenging angel or other. Nida had almost always made of point of not wearing black, said it made his already light skin look sickly pale. But, in truth, he practically glowed. Like that he looked as beautiful as he did terrible. Just like this Rei. But it was the words that made him shudder. Was Nida saying… Could it be true?

"My love. You came," Rei said, voice filled with joy. "Oh, I have been waiting for you! I'm so glad you have come. I was almost worried that you wouldn't. After that little argument…"

"I'm here aren't I?" Nida said, making his way closer to the waiting pair. "How could I resist after all? The offer you made to me was too sweet… My love."

There was little Squall could do but sit, unable to really understand what was going on. It was all just too much. Nida had been using him all along? It… It wasn't right. But there was Nida, slinking up to Rei, a soft and sweet smile on his face. The same smile that Squall had received some nights over a candle light dinner. The same smile he loved to see on that sweet face. But tainted, oh so tainted. There was none of the warmth he had known, but at the same time, all of the love. Squall couldn't understand it.

Or maybe he just didn't want to believe. Could he be blamed really? Years of love and devotion, suddenly forced away by watching the one you cared so dearly for kissing another man? A man that had tried to kill him, who had killed countless others. All at once Squall could feel his heart breaking, and his stomach protesting at the sight. He was going to be sick. There was nothing he could do but turn away.

"What?" Nida's voice came, mockingly sweet, "Can't you handle the truth Loire? You're nothing but a tool. And we are done with you. Be gone."

"But Nida," Rei protested, all the murderous intent suddenly fading into a very submissive nature, "I wanted to give him to you as a gift."

"The only gift I've ever needed was your love Rei," Nida purred, leaning against the slightly taller asian. "So can we just throw him to the street and go home?"

"Absolutely."

"Then be gone Loire," Nida laughed. "And be sure to tell that silly detective that while it was a lot of fun, he was just too easy to manipulate… You all were."

It was taking all of his will not to cry, and oh how his eyes stung. How could Nida be so cruel? He'd always been sweet and loving and so kind to him. This wasn't right, this couldn't be Nida. Nida loved him. Had said so many times. How could it all change so fast?

"Get out of here, before we add you to the list," Rei hissed, nipping at Nida's ear and raising his gun towards Squall.

All he could do was run, run for the door, for his life. He kept running too, when the tears finally came. He only made it a few blocks though, when all hell broke lose in the form of an explosion in the building he had just fled from. A blast that changed his life in an instant.


	8. Explosion

Author's Notes: It's finally here. The ultimate chapter of my truly evil story! After this there is only the epilogue if you'd believe it. And you're going to HATE me for ending it where I have and how I have and when I have. Hate hate hate. But you know what? Deal.

Now I've been asked several times by a few, okay two, parties if Nida is really evil. Could he really have been working with Rei all along? Is he really pure evil and a serial killer? Well, other than this chapter to let you make your own choices I ask that you take Nida's previous actions into consideration. Yes, he could be a REALLY good actor, but the story is mainly from his POV and we've seen inside his mind enough to know that there is some good in there. Okay, so maybe he MIGHT be evil. Even I don't know that. But there is SOME good in there, right? Right?

* * *

Chapter 8: Explosion

For an hour, or maybe two, he'd been sitting there, looking up at the dark and starless sky, trying to find the courage that had fled him minutes after he'd arrived at the designated meeting spot. Somewhere inside was Squall, his only reason for being here, his only reason for living. Yet Squall wasn't alone. Also in there was Rei, Rei Yamamoto and he was the reason Nida's legs had turned to jelly. Or, well, maybe it was what was in the duffle he had resting at his side. Then again, it might be the realization that had set in… the realization of just what he'd have to do to stop Rei.

Still, time was running short, and as his watch give the slightest beeping to announce the coming of the new day the young asian stood. He lifted a leather coat he had never been fond of from the duffle and slowly pulled it on over a too tight black silk shirt. All in all he had been rather impressed by how he looked in that and the tight leather pants Squall had bought him as a joke for their first anniversary, but that wasn't important now. What was important was that he look very tempting, look the part he was about to play. If Rei was really walking on the thin ice of sanity, if Rei really thought he was still in love, that Nida wanted this and had been working with him, then he had to look like it. And, more than anything, he needed an honest reaction from Squall.

Nida's hand closed over the handles of the duffle and placed his hand upon the door he'd been resting by, preparing to enter. But he was paused by the sound of voices within.

"_He'll let the police handle it!" _came a shout, but it was faint for that. Still, it was obviously Squall. What worried Nida was how far away that voice sounded. The further Squall was from the exit the worse, especially if he was bound.

After a moment Nida placed his ear right against the cold metal and listened to the cold chuckling that came along with the voice he feared more than anything. Rei's voice. The voice of death.

"_You don't know the Nida I know. You only know the face he dares to present to you. A man who acts kind and sweet. A man who seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. You don't know him as he really is."_

It was true enough. Squall didn't know, and it was wall Nida's fault. He really did only know the face that Nida showed to him, but he wasn't what Rei was implying. He'd never LIED to Squall. He'd only left out some of the truth. Any of the truth. All of the truth really. So he maybe he wasn't as pure in this as he wanted to believe. If he'd only just avoided Squall, if he'd told him straight off to stay away maybe this would have been easier. Maybe Rei just would have just gone for a murder-suicide upon his arrival herer in New York. Who knew how many lives could be saved.

So focused was Nida upon this self pity that it wasn't until Rei spoke again that he noticed that there was still things happening inside. The voice was so bitterly cold and demented, and it was all the voice of his nightmare.

"_Now what would be the purpose of that Squall? I'm a very honest person. I will admit to killing those boys. But I will also admit that Nida was my partner in it all. I do it all for him after all, my sweet love. And before you die, you will get to see, for but a moment, what his love is really like. Poor thing, thinking you ever had a chance to know it. You were never worthy of my sweet little Nida."_

If there was one thing Nida knew about Squall, it was how much that series of statements would piss his love off. Squall could not abide by lies, and anything he felt was a lie he would denounce then and there. It was one of the cutest things about Squall. It didn't matter if it was as small as saying that their home cooked meal was divine when Squall couldn't boil water without setting fire to something, to telling you the sky was green. But, now Nida had heard something he could work with, a time he could step in and protect Squall, make his move on Rei…

As he swung the door open Nida watched Squall leap to his feet from a chair and shout at Rei, but the words barely registered to the young asian. So focused was he on assuming an arrogant attitude, on being like Rei, on not showing his relief at Squall's lack of bindings, that he really couldn't pause to get anything but the general feel of the words. Of Squall's denial of Rei's words.

So began the most dangerous game Nida had ever been forced to partake in.

"That is where you are quite wrong Loire," Nida almost purred, trying to keep his voice from quivering as he made his way towards the pair. He'd never referred to Squall as Loire but for the first five minutes that they weren't on first name basis. "You really don't know what is going on after all. Just a pitiful little outsider to our world. It is a shame it is that way of course, we don't much like outsiders…"

Between the look of horror on Squall's face and that of joy on Rei's, Nida was hard pressed to keep moving, to smirk maliciously at Squall and not shudder at the looks he could sense from Rei. Part of him was shouting that he should have left it to Detective Almasy, and Nida was beginning to agree.

"My love. You came. Oh, I have been waiting for you! I'm so glad you have come. I was almost worried that you wouldn't. After that little argument…" Rei said, only to be cut off by Nida.

The asian really didn't want to get into the fight with Rei. Letting that be forefront in the mind of the obviously delusional killer might only serve to remind him that Nida was not in fact working with him. That was hardly a very good thing to have happen.

"I'm here aren't I? How could I resist after all? The offer you made to me was too…" Here Nida could do nothing but hesitate and pray neither would notice, "My love."

With the best smile that he could fake Nida made his way towards Rei, finally closing the distance between them. Still, nothing he could do would bring true affection to his eyes, so Nida didn't even try. His focus for now was upon forcing his body to say what his heart, head, what the rest of him could not. So Nida made a sacrifice he had no intention of making when he had first entered the building. He put his arms around Rei, leaned in close, and pressed their lips together.

There was little action from Nida's own side, but once Rei realized what was happening the older man deepened the kiss for him. A sickening mixture of tongue and hands groping at him that Nida took only as long as he deemed necessary before pulling away and just leaning against Rei. After a moment to catch his breath and calm his stomach enough that it would not fail him if he opened his mouth, Nida turned to smirk at Squall. It hurt to see the way his love cringed away from the sight and Nida wanted nothing more than to comfort his love. Still, things far worse than this were bound to happen tonight, and he could not spare Squall's stomach or heart.

"What? Can't you handle the truth Loire? You're nothing but a tool," Nida said, the mocking sweetness of his own voice making him sicker, "And we are done with you. Be gone."

He knew Squall was going to flee as well, it was all he needed. In fact, his plan was going rather well, all things considered. Maybe, just this once, he had beaten Rei. Maybe he had finally bested Rei at his own game. Was it really too much to hope for?

"But Nida…"

He turned to look at Rei and could not help but be shocked by what he found. The man looked like a child, young and looking up to someone he was trying so hard to please, to make proud of him. This wasn't a Rei he had ever known.

"I wanted to give him to you as a gift."

There was no choice, Nida had to think fast. Rei would kill Squall to make Nida happy, even though it would do no such thing. But what could he do to change Rei's intentions? A shudder went through him as it occurred to him just what he would have to do.

Nida leaned against the taller man and purred out in the most seductive voice he could muster, "The only gift I've ever needed was your love Rei. So can we just throw him to the street and go home?"

"Absolutely."

"And be gone Loire. And be sure to tell that silly detective that while it was a lot of fun, he was just too easy to manipulate… You all were," Nida laughed. He hated himself so much more than ever before now.

When Rei nipped at his ear Nida didn't move. In fact he just stood there as Rei hissed his farewell by holding up the gun.

"Get out of here, before we add you to the list."

Nida just closed his eyes and pretended not to hear the sound of Squall's footsteps retreating out of the warehouse. Each echoing step cut him to the bone, but Nida dealt with it, as best as he could manage. He was alone with Rei now, and he had to be strong. If he wasn't then he had little hope of besting Rei at anything. For all he knew this was all a far larger trap than he possibly could have anticipated. In fact, at any moment Rei could…

"Ah Nida, my sweet little fool. Tell me, is this worth throwing your life away for?"

He could go and do that. As Rei spoke his arm around Nida's waist tightened significantly, and that childish look melted into something Nida was more familiar with… hatred, desire, a general evilness that could not be escaped. The gun that had been moments before pointed at Squall was pushed into his stomach as it had been just days ago. Rei's formerly free hand came up to wrap around Nida's throat, not that the older man could do much to strangle him with only one hand from behind at that angle.

"And you played along so well. Oh if you had only watched him. Had I a recording I would be able to show you the exact second that you broke his heart. I'm so proud of you Nida. It's taken this long but you've finally learned, haven't you. You can't win Nida. You can never win."

"All I have to do," he responded, attempting to keep his voice level and confident, "is leave here Rei. Then the cops will take you away forever. I do win this time Rei. This time I win."

The laughter Nida's words caused filled the whole warehouse. It all echoed back and the sound was almost hollow. Really, he should have known he couldn't bluff Rei, but trying was half of the battle.

"If the cops were outside you wouldn't have been sure to break that boy's heart. If you really thought you were going to win, you wouldn't have made him think you were in league with me. In fact, if you didn't want to be here you wouldn't have admitted to everything that you did. Face it Nida, you're stuck with me. It's either death or me. And you are far too cowardly for the former."

Nida shuddered as the man tightened his grip even further. Seems he had but one choice left. His eyes flickered to the duffle just out of his reach. It wouldn't matter though. His fingers fumbled into his pocket and closed around a simple button.

"You're wrong about one thing Rei… I'm not a coward."

Were it not for the fact that the barrels he had left the bag beside had been filled with some old flammable liquid, the explosion would have been small, localized enough only to distract Rei, to give Nida an edge. As it was the blast was large a loud. Old bare wood caught like kindling and the fire spread fast. To fast for Nida to even hope to get out.

The fire took a whole hour for the fire department to douse the flames. Little hope was held out for any who might have been inside…


	9. Epilogue

Author's Notes: It's time to end it. I'm sorry this has come. I really am. Tears and such. But all good things must come to an end… And mediocre things like this must too. A nice little epilogue to leave you all satisfied and hopefully answer all your questions.

Then again… I've never been good at leaving questions go answered. I'm far better at making you ask them…

* * *

Epilogue: Divergent Journeys

It was a quiet cemetery, but it was not as if there was another kind. The somber air of death and decay were hidden carefully behind carefully kept grass and bright flowers left by the living, but it was still there. Any person could sense it, any child teach you to fear it, and any sane person was loath to think about the day they would be part of that somberness. Even the grave markers and tombstones lacked the flair and embellishments of older cemeteries or of those filled with people willing to leave their mark. There was no black marble carved in crosses, or pristine white angels standing guard. Just a few averagely sized, averagely colored, averagely average stones.

Still, in every place where the average gathered there was something different, something that didn't fit in with the common, that stood out by being plainer or simpler. This place was no exception. It came in the form of a small, five by eight piece of granite with only a name and a date engraved on it. No images etched, no sweet sentiments from the family, nothing. Just the little piece of stone showing that yes, there was someone there, even if they were barely worthy of the attention.

Before this piece of stone stood a man, his hands buried in the deep pockets of his long white coat. Rain was coming down heavily, as if discouraging him from visiting the barely marked grave, but even the plastering of blonde hairs to his head, even water falling from his eyelashes in a mockery of the tears another might have let fall, did not drive him away. He was a very, very stubborn man, and he was determined to pay his respects, despite his lack of respect for the deceased in life.

One out of the many gods people claimed there to be in the world must have been smiling down on the one who filled the grave too, for the blonde did not spit or scoff or kick mud onto the pathetically small stone. Then again, he had paid for the thing in the first place, so desecrating it would almost be insulting himself. Besides, the person had been good enough in life to be left alone in death, right?

"You're quite the man of habit," a voice came from behind the blonde. Apparently the mixture of rain and his deep thoughts had allowed someone to sneak up on the normally jumpy man. He was hardly pleased with that, but nothing could be done. So he continued to stare at the small stone, ignoring his new company.

"Every year, same time, same place, same silence," the observer said, remaining behind the blonde.

There was now the sound of rain hitting an umbrella, adding to the ambience of the place. Fitting almost, that the rain made no sound on the stones, but sounded beautiful when hitting that umbrella. The blonde hated that beautiful sound. It didn't fit the cemetery at all. He wanted to do nothing more than destroy the thing, kill the sound before it could do something to interrupt his calm.

"I'm not leaving you alone Almasy," the speaker said, amusement in his voice.

The name obviously had the desired effect as the blonde whirled to look at this guest. He didn't see what he was expecting, but what he saw was enough. Black hair gathered up in a ponytail, gentle brown eyes that weren't only gentle, but filled with sorrow and pain. Skin so pale white that next to the black coat and in this gloom it seemed to glow. And the slightest hint of scarring from burns at his neck where the turtle-neck could not cover.

"Nomura…"

A smirk that was once trademark to the Detective was thrown right back at him from the asian. There was no real joy or humor behind it though, just that sorrow that permeated the man.

"Now now Detective. According to that stone you paid for, Mister Nida Nomura is four years dead. You had him buried. There were witnesses to the fact…"

Seifer merely glared at the man before turning back to the grave marker. Nida Nomura, it read before the two dates, one four years before today. It was true. He had paid for Nida's burial after his 'death' in the fire. After all, he had saved Squall's life, even if he had to break Squall's heart to do it. One had to look out for their friends, whether they got along or not. Nida's family had offered to do it, had wanted to, but Seifer had insisted. Only him and them knew of this though, and somehow the man behind him.

"Do they count when the coffin was closed? Because he was too 'badly burnt' for the comfort of onlookers? Does that count as dead? Do they count as witnesses?"

"You tell me Almasy," the man responded, moving to stand beside him. The umbrella was shifted to cover them both, but Seifer was hardly grateful.

"He's not the same you know," Seifer finally said, breaking the silence they had stood in for almost five minutes. "No where near the same."

The other looked away, unable to meet Seifer's gaze at this point. There was still guilt there.

"It cannot be helped. Rei is still at large. It is why Nida is dead. It is why Squall must think Mister Nomura a killer and a liar. It must be done to keep him safe."

This brought a chuckle to Seifer's lips. Though his companion for the moment looked applauded at his actions, Seifer didn't stop.

"The night Nida died," Seifer finally said once he stopped, "Ellone told me something like that. That Nomura wouldn't let him remain in danger. That he wouldn't run. Tell me, sir, does death count as running?"

"Yes."

He hadn't been expecting that answer, not in the slightest.

"Nomura was a coward, and were he still upon this world he still would be. But there was one saving grace I believe. At a point he stopped running from the beast out of selfishness, and ran to death instead to save another. Some would call that bravery."

"I wouldn't. I could have protected Squall AND caught Rei if Nomura had worked with me."

"I'm sure that you believe that, but obviously Mister Nomura doesn't agree."

Silence again for another few minutes before the man with the umbrella spoke up.

"Has Squall at least… moved on in any way? Left the dead where they belong?"

Seifer nodded. "He's gotten himself a new fling now. He doesn't talk very much, even to his parents or Ellone, but he talks to me. He's afraid of trusting the guy. Can you believe it? A man who has been betrayed and broken afraid of trusting."

A flinch from the guest, then, "Can you tell him something?"

"From you, or from beyond this grave?"

"Tell him… Tell him that he doesn't have to believe Nida was a great guy. Just that he has to remember Nida stopped running for him."

The detective nodded, but remained where he was as the umbrella was pulled away. The asian man started off down the row of graves, pausing only when Seifer called out.

"Hey… Nida. He still loves you like the fool he is."

When the man disappeared into the rain there was nothing Seifer could do. He had told the paramedics that Nida was to be found dead, that he was putting the man into a witness protection program. He had let the sham continue. He had been the one to lie to Squall all this time. He was the one who was failing to catch Rei, who had somehow escaped the warehouse while Nida had been pinned under a burning beam. He had let Nida go with no way of bringing him back.

Yet, as the wind changed direction, Seifer could have sworn that he heard a faint 'As do I'. Maybe, just this once, it was enough.

"Rest in peace Nida," he said, kicking the stone at last. It was time to let sleeping dogs lie.

With Seifer gone the place became average once more. Averagely shaped stones of averagely plain colors with averagely plain writing. And still, amid it, there was the one thing that was different, the marker of a man that had been great once, who had given the life he had known for a man he had loved.


End file.
